Back-run process of making water gas



March 25, 1930. D 1, YOUNG 1,751,501

BACKRUN PROCESS OF' MAKING WATER GAS Filed NOV. 25, 1924 ,Pleifed ar. 25, 1930 (STATES,

PATENT ori-Alca i DANIEL J. YOUNG, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON,'ASSIGNOR T0 YOUNG-WHITWELL GAS 'PROCESS COMPANY, OF -TACOMA, WASHINGTON vBACK-RUN rn'ocnss or lMAKING yWATER GAS Application filed November 25, 1924. ,Serial No."752,104.

Y The invention relates to a backrun process for making Water gas, which gas may be either carbureted or uncarbureted, and the process is in many Ways similar to that described` in my patent, No. 1,468,190, dated 'September 18, 1923, 'the principal difference in the Vpresent case being the substitution 'of-water for steam during the backrun.

Both processes arebased upon the usual Water gas process and have as their primary obj ect to make more feasible and practical the use o f raw coal or other carbonaceous matter, such as lignite, noW unsuited for use in that process, as the fuel for charging the'generator and also to efficiently utilize the excess heat which is generated Whensuch material is employed as the source of the fuel in the A generator When operating in accordance'with the customary method of operating a Water gas plant. W

, Another object is to economically utilize a portion of the lost heat Whichis now Wasted l,in Water-gas operation regardless of the nature of the generator fuel. y

A further object is to prevent objectionable clogging 1of thev heat transferring parts ofthe apparatus, such as the carburetor and' the super-heater. with deposited carbon and also to periodically convert such carbon as may beA deposited in such parts of the apparatu's into v vater gas, thus eliminating the objectionable result of clogging the apparartus and at the same time converting the carbon which it deposited therein into gas.

The specific improvement which particularly distinguishes the present process from the process described and claimed in my patent, consistsin the substitution of AWater for steam in the back run, a jet of Water being,V

introduced into the system, preferably adjacent the superheater outlet. The Water .comes into contact With the hot checker Work in the superheater and carburetor, and is thereby converted into steam, which is passed in a reverse direction through the shells which make up the Water gas set, the resulting comj bustible gas being taken 0E, preferably, at the bottom of the generator.

The process may be carried out in many different forms of apparatus but for the pur- Aresented by a. pipe, as 21, and a distributer pose of illustration, I have described the invention in connection'with an apparatus similar to that shown in my co-pending application, Serial Number 658,393, filedl August 20, 1923. The process mayalsoA be conveniently carried opt in the apparatus described in the application of Geer e, E. Whitwell, Serial Number 634,811, file April 26, 1923,v

as Well as in other forms of apparatus.

In the drawings l Fig. 1 is a central verticalsection of a Water gas plantcomprisingthe usual generator, carburetor and superheater,`certain parts be- -ing in elevation. i

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the plant. 65

Fig. 3 is afragmentary view in vertical section showing an alternative connection between th'e generator and carburetor.

'The plant as illustrated consists of a Water gas generator l, a carburetor 2 and a superheater 3, these being of any standard or satisfactory type of construction. These are provided With the usual connections for the transfer of gas and air from one to the other.

This comprises a pipe 4 connectingtheupper parts of the generator and carburetor and containing therein a valve 40. kA pipe 41 is also provided, connecting the pipe 4 with the i lower chamber 10of the generator beneath the gratell.4 This also is provided with a valve42. A ypipe as 43 is provided con- -hea-ter, respectively with each other.

The upper part of the superheateris provided with the usual gas off-take connection,

as 31, and also with a stack valve, as 32,

Which is opened for the discharge of the Agases formed Aduring the air blasting run. The above features are substantially standard in construction for a Water gas plant. The carburetor is also provided with means for introducing oil or other suitable enriching hydrocarbons at its upper end, this being repas'22, which is placed just Within the chamber of the carburetor. This is, or may be, also of standard construction.

A steam pipe 6,.. is provided for supplying steam to the ybottom of the generator and a like pipe 61 for supplying steam above the bed of the generator. Valves 60 control each of these steam pipes.

According to the present invention, the pipe 62, at the discharge end of the superheater, is-used for supplying Water, insteadv of steam as in the process covered by my Patent No. 1,468,190. Pipe 62 is controlled by valve 63. Steam pipe 61 is usedl in making down runs, as is common in Water gas generators. At such times the gas `passes to the carburetor through pipe 41. A gas oifftake pipe 8`connects with the bottom of the generator, this being one of the features of my' invention.A

Airis supplied beneath the fuel bedjof the generator for use in blasting, through pipe 50 and is controlled by valve 5l. Supplemental air supply pipe 52 connects with the upperpart of carburetor and is controlled by valve53. A supplemental air pipe 54 connects with the bottom of the superheater and is controlled by valve 55. l

In operating in accordance with the usual practice ofl a water gas plant, air would be introduced for a period beneaththe grate 1l and would pass up' through the fuel bed 12 during the blasting process. Supplemen* tal air is also lintroduced when desired through pipes 52 to the carburetor and pipes 54 to the superheater, as may be necessary for proper combustion. lllhis supplemental air is controlled by valves 53 and 55. rlhis blast gas would be passed over through the pipe 4 to the carburetor, through the checkerwork 23 therein, taken through the pipe 43 to the superheater 3 and up through the checkerwork 33 therein and out through the stackvalve 32. l

In the gas making run the air supply from pipes 50, 54 and 52, would be discontinued and steam-introduced through the pipe 6 or pipe 61 according as the run was up or down. During this run oil would be introduced through the pipe 21 and theoperation would be exactly in conformity with the usual gas making` run of a water gas plant.

In carrying out my process the air blasting run may be carried to a point where thev checkerwork in both the carburetor and the superheater is raised to a somewhat higher temperature than would be required by the operation of the usual water gas process. P

eration by the usual gas making run, in which steam is first passed through the fuel bed in the generator, according'to my present process, I introduce water from a pipe 62 pref- The water comes into contact with the hot checkerwork and is at once converted into steam. This steam is passed in a reverse direction to that usually employed, passingvfirst through the superheater 3, thence through the carburetor 2, and then finally through the incandescent fuel in the generator whereI it is broken up, the resulting water gas being taken out at a' point adjacent to where air and steam would normally be introduced to the generator, in carrying out the usual water gas process, as by pipe 8. This steam absorbs heat from the superheatcr, and the carburetor until it is highly-superheated. `When it wash box 64.' If an up run is employed the gas, off-take 8 is closed and steam admitted through the pipe 6, the steam passing upwardv'ly through the fuel bed, thereby generating water gas, which is then passed through the carburetor and superheater to the gas off-take 31 leading to the, usual wash box 64 having a gas o-take 64. "Where a down run is employed steam is admitted through pipe 61 and passes in a downward direction through the fuel bed. rlhe gas generated thereby is taken olf through the valve 42 and the upright pipe 41, passing thence ythrough the carburetor and superheater.

Anysuitable and well known means for reversing the flow of gas through the. entire plant may be employed. 'Ordinarily this result will be 'accomplished by the use of the valves L34 and 70 which are placed-in the pipes 8 and' 31 respectively. @bviously by thus is applied to an old plant the valve 40 remains permanently open and the valve 42 permanently closed, there being no passage of gas through the pipe 41 and valve 42 during any I Y, d phase of the operation of the plant. Like- Instead of following this air blasting l"op-'f' Jnake water gas, thus securing two desirable results, one the utilization of this carbon for y the making of gas and the other the prevenl tion of clogging of the superheater and the carburetor Withvcarbon and the resulting necessity of cleaning the same. Thesuperheat'ed ,steam is also further` acted upon bythe incandescent fuel bed of tliegenerator to pro' duce-.more Water gas. The gas produced .during this run of the apparatus is a comj bination of coal gas and water gas.

When thel superheater, and the carburetor have, by such a run as just described, been reduced in temperature tothat which is most desirable forthe operation of a water gas plant, the supply of Water is cut off at 62 and the usual How of steam, either up or down as Lis customary in usual Water gas operation has been reduced in temperaturevto the minimum desirable temperature for gas making,

this water gas making run is stopped and the air blasting run is started, after the usual vmanner-of operating a Water gas plant.

Themeans for introducing coal or other fuel tothe generator may be varied as deof the invention will suggest themselves to sired and any apparatus used'which is found suitable. Theapparatus illustrated consists of a hopper 18 for containing powdered coal, a screw feed by which this is delivered in .regular amounts to the charging pipe 81 by which it is admitted to the generator. It also includes a revolving shaft 9 to which is se- "cured'a disk 90 upon which the coal falls and from which it isdischarged so as to be distributed instead of being .al1 deposited at one point.A y Y With the above apparatus operating in the manner described, the excess heat which has been found to be generated when coal is used for charging the generator and a portion of that heat which has hitherto been wasted regardless of the nature of the generator fuel is'utilized in the superheating of the steam. This superheated steam, in turn may be used for the volatilization of the raw coal which is being charged in the generator, this forming a certain amount of coal gas which isadded to the water gas. 'v

The passage of steam'through the carburetor and the superheater of the usual Water gas apparatus Without first passing it through the generator is an effective manner of preventing clogging of these parts with carbon,

. as deposited carbon would thus be converted into water gas. This is a desirable result and an improvement upon the former plan of operation which may be practiced whether or not the other steps of my process are employed.

Obviously during the backrun, if no oil is bein admitted to the carburetor, unearbureted Water gas is produced, -and during this period the carburetor and superheater function melggf as heat regenerators, and may be referred to respectively, as the primary heat interchanger and the secondary heat interchanger.

'i Accordingly, Where the specifica-tion vorv claims refer to"water gas or to combustible gas, the term is intended to be used generically to' include both uncarbureted or bluel water gas and carbureted-water gas.

' In the accompanying drawings, the water from which the back run steam is generated is shown as introduced at the top of the superheater. This location of the pipe 62 ,is prefi erable, but, if desired, Water may be vintroduced into the system at other points, as, for

example, at the bottom of the superheater or at the bottom of the carburetor.

The invention may also be carried out in a manner similar to that described in the apl 'plication o f George E. l/Vhitwell, Serial. Num-l b er 634,811. This could be readily accomplished by providing a means between the pipes 8 and 31 whereby a portion of the gas taken off from the bottom of the generator may be recirculated together with steam, .through the plant as a whole. p

Obviously other changes within the scope lappended claims.

I claim 1. The improvementin the process o'fmakl ing carbureted Water gas, which when car" 'ried out in a plant comprising a single water gas generator having a solid fuel b ed, a single carburetor, and a smgle superheater, connected in series in constant and uniform rela- 4 tion, with a permanently free passage there:I between, consists in introducing water into the superheater containing highly heated checkerwork, whereby steam `is, produced, passing said steam successively throu h the superheater, carburetor, and the fuel ed in .the generator, and withdrawingy water gas from the bottom of the generator.

2. The improvement in the process of making carbureted water gas, which when carried out lin a plant comprising a single water gas generator having a solid fuel bed, a single carbureter, and a single superheater, consists in introducing water into the highly heated superheater, whereby steam is produced, passing said steam successively through the superheater, carburetor, and the fuel bed in the generator, and withdrawing 'water gas from the generator.

3. c The improvement in the usual two cycle process of making water'gas, carried out in a set comprising a single water gas generator. havin a solid fuel bed, a single primary heat in separate and detached shells.. one cycle comprising airkblasting the fuel bed of the generator and storing the resulting heat successively in the primary and secondary heat interchangers, the other cycle consisting in making a forward steam run successively through the generator, primary heat interchanger and the secondary heat interchanger,

and withdrawing the resulting water gas directly from the secondaryvheat interchanger; the improvement which ncomprises making a third cycle in which water is introduced-into the heated set whereby steam is' produced passing the. said steamthrough the fuel be of the generator, and withdrawing the resulting water gas directly from the generator for storage or use. 1

` 4. The'irnprovement in the process of Inaking carbureted water gas, which, when carried out in an apparatus comprising a single 4 steam downwardly through the fuel bed ofv generator having a bed of solid fuel, a single carburetor, and a single superheater, which apparatus has been heated in-a previous air blasting operation, comprises introducing water into the heated apparatus and thereby converting the same into steam, passing said the generator, andwithdrawing the resulting Water gas directly from vthe generator.

In testimony whereof l ax my signature. v DANEEL J. YOUNG. 

